Chichibu 2011/2015 'The Peated' (62.5%, OB)Vorsicht! Caution! Atención! Colour: gold. Nose: some kind of rounded peatiness, perhaps. Maybe a little silverware polish? Antiseptic? Well, it IS antiseptic for sure. Nah, it burns a bit. So, with water: it’s quite hard to tame, finding the right amount of water is difficult. I find a grassy peat, some wormwood, some seaweed for sure, touches of camphor… Sometimes it’s young Laphroaig distilled a long time ago, and sometimes it’s rather young Ardbeg distilled a long time ago. Hints of gherkin brine, green grapefruits... It’s not to be rushed, this baby needs your care and your attention. Like all babies, I suppose… Mouth (neat): it seems that someone smoked marshmallows. Or sno balls. Not a bad idea, that, but this drop is really too strong when undiluted. With water: almost gone the sno balls, and gone the marshmallows. This is young grassy and fattish peat, with a little salt, and, there, a little sake. The mind is weak, isn’t it. Finish: very long, salty, briny, and green. Green tea (my brain says macha), and grapefruits. The aftertaste is rather superbly zesty, but there’s a little gritty pepper from the oak. Comments: not an easy beast. There is some complexity, but every time you find some subtle notes, a wave of young peat just crushes them, which can get a little tiring. But yeah, it’s great, great whisky. SGP:466 - 85 points.

In spite of the young age and the high ABV, it has a surprising roundness and complexity. I found that water makes it more accessible. Yes it is peated, but by no means a peat monster. There is an abundance of fruits, vanilla, saltiness and a few things I can't identify, but they make it even more interesting! All is well integrated.

Kudos to Akuto-san for producing such a young and at the same time mature whisky again. Looking forward to tasting those casks after 10 years or more!

The only negative is the price, but apparently if it's Japanese and it's good, that's just the way it is...